Fraud and sloppiness are not just an internal problem for science. Science is part and parcel of society. Pushing falsehoods can have a very wide impact. A recent article in Forbes highlights this issue, in relation to clnical trials of beta blockers in heart disease. Current European regulations are driven, in part, by a fraudulent clinical trial. These guidelines are being revised, but that takes time, during which doctors have unwittingly caused the deaths of some patients by following these guidelines.